Laurent Ponsot Bourgogne Cuvee du Perce-Neige 2022 750ml

This fine Burgundy white is pale gold in colour and occasionally features silvery yellow reflections. The nose is marked by notes of hawthorn flower, liquorice, lemon and grapes, with warmer nuances of honeysuckle, pear, brioche, iodine, marzipan, nuts, peach and pineapple. On the palate, expect fleshy fruit, with a fresh, saline and lean finish featuring liquorice and exotic fruit aromas.

The freshness and fruity and accessible suppleness of a Bourgogne Blanc make it perfect for a buffet supper of chilled and savoury tapas, or a brunch with soft-boiled eggs and herbs, mushrooms stuffed with shrimps, fromage frais and chives, roasted fish, roasted vegetables with feta, spinach and ricotta ravioli, etc.
And of course this wine is the faithful companion of Burgundian dishes such as gougères (cheese choux pastries), snails and ham and parsley terrine.

• Country: France
• Region: Burgundy
• Size: 750ml
• Color: White

Varietal

Chardonnay

Of all the white wine grape varietals, surely the one that has spread the furthest and is most widely appreciated is Chardonnay. This green-skinned grape is now grown all over the Old and New Worlds, from New Zealand to the Americas, from England to Chile, and is one of the first varietals people think of when considering white wine grapes. Perhaps this is because of its huge popularity, which reached a peak in the 1990s, thanks to new technologies combining with traditional methods to bring the very best features out of the Chardonnay grape and allow its unique qualities to shine through. Most fine Chardonnay wines use a process known as malolactic fermentation, wherein the malic acids in the grape juice are converted to lactic acids, allowing a creamier, buttery nature to come forward in the wine. No grape varietal is better suited to this process than Chardonnay, which manages to balance these silky, creamy notes with fresh white fruit flavors beautifully.